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In anticipation of the coming new year, Sampsonia Way looks back at the most-watched Writer’s Block video interviews of 2013. The Writer’s Block is an ongoing video series of interviews with visiting writers at City of Asylum/Pittsburgh.

“The situation in Cuba,” writes Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo, “is identical to that of apartheid South Africa.” In his column, the Cuban writer looks at Nelson Mandela’s relationship with Fidel Castro in spite of the Cuba’s human rights violations and undemocratic political system.

“The situation in Cuba,” writes Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo, “is identical to that of apartheid South Africa.” In his column, the Cuban writer looks at Nelson Mandela’s relationship with Fidel Castro in spite of the Cuba’s human rights violations and undemocratic political system.

Outraged by the spying practices of the NSA, tech giants Google and Facebook have been calling for substantial reform and more transparency. Political cartoonist Tjeerd Royaards (Netherlands) takes a closer look.

The Iranian government aggressively blocks online content with an extensive blacklist of URLs and URL keywords. According to an Iran Media Program study, Iran’s digital filter blocks access to pages on one of internet’s most open platforms: Wikipedia. Here’s an infographic that shows key findings.

Sampsonia Way presents the ultimate book list based on the 19 Salon Readings that City of Asylum/Pittsburgh held during 2013. Each of the books on the list was written, edited, or translated by the stellar lineup of invited writers, journalists, and translators. Enjoy!

In what is a reversal of a decades old policy, the Turkish Ministry of Culture refuses to give financial aid to private theaters that supported the Gezi Park protests and that stage plays that violate the public’s general morality. Turkey columnist and author Tarik Günersel explains the situation.

Watch a short film on the acclaimed “people’s poet,” Ahmed Fouad Negm, recipient of the 2013 Prince Claus Award. A master poet, fearless social and political critic, Negm died on December 3, a few days before the award ceremony.

“Expatriation—waking up one morning startled by agoraphobia, sentenced and expelled with no possibility of return—has another name and, why not, another destination: Saskatchewan.” Israel Centeno on Richard Ford’s novel, Canada.

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About Sampsonia Way

Sampsonia Way is an online magazine sponsored by City of Asylum/Pittsburgh that seeks to protect and advocate for writers who may be endangered, to educate the public about threats to writers and literary expression, and to create a community in which endangered writers thrive and literary culture is a valued part of life.